Artillery Raft - Radeau - Lake George - French Indian War (1 Viewer)

Fraxinus

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No idea if this will work, but going to try. Both Abercromby (Land Tortoise) and subsequently Amherst (Invincible) built these artillery radeaus (rafts). Mounted cannon, typically some 24-pounders. The Land Tortoise remains largely intact to this day. It is an historical site at the bottom of Lake George. As such, we know the dimensions, materials and construction techniques used to build these vessels. Will post links later in the thread.

All the planking is all straight flat planks and boards. Nothing fancy here. So an easy model. Land Tortoise is 52 feet x 18 feet. At our scale, 20.8 inches by 7.2 inches, so it is screaming Mike Miller build me!!!! THe other two radeau were larger (Amherst).

Soon we will have the cannon, very soon!!! It is a row-sail vessel - more images to come.


RADEAU pdf PHOTO.jpg
 
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Robin, you are correct!!! Will be a nice guy and include the blueprints so Mike can get started today. Mike remember 20.8 x 7.2!!!
 
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Built by Abercromby in 1758, The Land Tortoise, was a large radeau gun platform (7 cannon, 2 mast, 26 oars, 52 feet x 18 feet barge). You can count the oar holes in the diagrams below. So we will have the cannon very soon, plus we already have the rowers and the needed artillery figures, so .... Besides, no basement is required - it can fit into a wide display cabinet in your "cave"!!!

In 1759, a second radeau gun platform, The Invincible, was launched on Lake George mounting four 24-pounders and four 12-pounders. This was in addition to the sloop Halifax (100 tons, 51-foot keel, 14 guns). The Invincible lead the Amherst’s artillery train on the approach to Fort Ticonderoga. The French did not contest the landing of the British at the north end of Lake George. Following the capture of Fort Ticonderoga, Amherst started an aggressive ship building program to combat the French ships long established on Lake Champlain. In August and September 1759, the British launched a 90-foot brig (Duke of Cumberland, 2 main masts, six 6-pounders, twelve 4-pounders and twenty swivel guns), an even larger radeau, the Ligonier - 84 feet x 20 feet, 2 masts, 40 oars per side, and six 24-pounders; and an 115-ton sloop, the Boscawen - single main mast, four 6-pounders, twelve 4-pounders, and twenty swivel guns. By this time, Amherst was scrambling to locate all the sailors and all 4- and 6-pounders he could to equip the newly minted British Fleet on Lake Champlain.

The Land Tortoise is a diveable wreck, see link below.

http://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/5076.html
 
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